Ditching-machine



(N M el.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 RV. HUNTER. DITGHING MACHINE.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. HUNTER.

DITGHING MACHINE.

No. 451,558. Patented May 5,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

DITCHING-MACHVINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,558, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed August 25, 1890. Serial No. 362,927. (No modelfl To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT HUNTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chesaning, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Ditching-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates generally to ditchingmachines, and particularly to improvements in the cutting, elevating, and discharging mechanisms by which trenches or ditches are formed and the loosened earth elevated and conveyed to one side thereof; and it consists in the peculiaritiesof construction and arrangement or combination of parts hereinafter fully disclosed in the description, drawings, and claims.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide an improved plow or cutter for forming ditches; second, improved endless conveyers provided with buckets for elevating the cut or loosened earth and discharging the same at one side'of said ditches; third, novel devices for effecting the tensioning of said endless conveyers and the cleaning of the buckets thereon after they have been emptied; fourth, novel scrapers for the removal of any earth that may adhere to the'peripheries of the gage and traction-wheels; fifth, an improved scraper for leveling the earth in the bottoms of ditches, and, sixth, novel arrangements or combinations of these parts wherebya'ditchinginachineisproduced which is efiect-ive in operation, capable of accomplishing the various results incident to this perspective detail view of the plow or cutter and parts of its attachments; and Fig. 4, a rear detail View, enlarged, of the toothed scraper for the tractionwheel and the scraper for leveling the bottom of a ditch,both being mounted in rear of said wheel.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the plow or cutter, which, as more plainly represented in Fig. 3, is composed of the two verticall3, arranged right and left side plates 2 and 3, the latter plate being formed with the vertical cutting-edge 4 for a portion of its height and with the downwardly-curved part 5, which extends forwardly from the lower end of said cutting-edge for the rest of its length, while the former plate is made with the rearwardly-inclined cutting-edge G, which extends its full height and projects forwardly of the plane of the vertical cuttingedge a of the opposite side plate 3; also, said cutter is provided with the downwardly and forwardly curved plate or mold-board 7, which is slightly inclined toward or along its right edge, which extends rearwardly for some distance past the inclined cutting-edge 6 of the right side plate 2 and which abuts at the rear end of its left side against the lower end of the vertical cutting-edge 40f the left side plate 3 and also with the angular plowshare 8, having the horizontal sharp point 9, the vertical knife or colter 10, and the cutting-edge 11, which is inclined to the right and rearwardly. This plowshare, having the features named, and the curved plate or mold-board 7 are removably connected by one or more screwbolts 12; also, the vertical side plates 2 and 3 of the cutter are removably connected and. firmly supported by the cross-braces 13, the ends of which are held by the bolts or screws 14. against the inner faces of said plates at the points indicated in Figsl and 3.

Between the upper edges of the vertical side plates of the cutter is firmly bolted the enlarged rear end 15 of the horizontal beam 16, from which projects the upwardly and forwardly inclined beam 17, which, in connection with the downwardly and forwardly inclined and apertured plates 18, connected to the front ends of said beams, constitutes the draft-bar 19, to which power is applied through the adjustable clevis 20, whereby the point of draft maybe regulated to accord wit-h the increasing depth of the ditch being formed.

Near the front end of the horizontal beam 16 is inserted the clan1p-holt 3],which passes through the slot 22, formed in the uppcrportion of the curved and adjustable support in the lower end of which is journalcd the guide or gage wheel 24- i'or regulating the depth of cut of the cutter l, as may be desired; also, just in rear of said support 23 the two-armed scraper 25 is pivoted to said beam 10, extends downwardly and forwardly, and rests at its lower closed end upon the periphery of said wheel 2-1 for clearing the same of any adhering earth.

To the upper edges or iunersurfaces of the side plates 2 and 3 of the cutter 1 is secured the upwardly and rearwardly inclined frame 26, in the upper end of which is journaled a sprocket wheel or roller 27, around and by which and a similar wheel or roller 28, which is mounted upon a shaftfltl iournaled in and between said side plates near their lower edges is carried the endless conveyor 30, which is provided with the buckets ill, and so arranged at its forward or lower end as to receive the loosened earth from the moldboard '7. Thence it is carried upwardly and discharged upon a siinilarly-eonstructed endless conveyer 32, which is carried within the chute 33, which is downwardly inclined and arranged at a right angle to and transversely beneath the upper end of said convcyer 30, so as o deliver the earth at one side of the ditch as it is being formed. The buckets 31 of these endless conveyors are formed of the closcly-arranged series of bent or right-angled plates 3i, which are riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the endless belts or chains 35, and so arranged that their horizontal bottoms will fit closely against their vertical sides or walls; also, their ends are arranged close to the sides of the frame 26 and the chute 233 for the purpose of preventing the discharge of their contents at those points.

To the rear or upper end of the frame 2t} are secured the uprights 36, in the lower ends of which is journaled the shaft 37 of the traction-wheel 38, on the left side of which is formed or secured the sprocket-wheel 30, around which passes the endless sprocket;- chain 10, which extends upwardly and passes over a similar wheel 11, which is attached to the inner end of a shaft 12, journaled in the upper portion of the left upright 36, as shown in Fig. 2. On the outer end of this shaft is secured the large gear-wheel if}, which meshes with the small gear-wheel H on the outer end of the shaft 45 of the sprocket wheel or roller 27. The outer side or face of this small gearwhcel is provided with the beveled teeth to,

' which mesh with the teeth of the bevel-pinthe upper sprocket wheel, or roller 50, which imparts downward movement to the upper surface of the transverse and downwardly-inclined endless conveyer 32, which, at the lower end of said chute, passes over the sprocket wheel or roller 51. The downward movement of this inclined endless conveyor is not only greatly assisted by the weight of the earth delivered into the buckets thereof, but also aids in drawing up and partly counterbalancing the weight of the earth in the buckcts of the upwardly and rcarwardly inclined endless conveyor, and in thus lessening the power required for operating the machine.

The tensioning of the chains or belts of the endless conveyors is provided for or accomplished by the rolls 5?, which are journaled in the lower ends of the slotted hangers 53, which are adjustably secured to the sides of the frame 96 and the chute 33 by the screwbolts 54;; also, similar hangers and adjusting devices are secured to said frame and chute, and in the lower ends of said hangers are yicldingly journaled the shafts of the revolublc brush-rolls 55, over which the buckets on the under sides of the endless conveyors pass, the result being that they are without injury thoroughly cleaned of any earth that may adhere thereto during their return to the cutter.

The uprights 36, in the lower ends of which the t-raction\vl1eel isjonrnaled, are strengthened or braced along their lower and middle portions by the bars 56 and the guide-handlcs 57, which are secured at their front ends to the inner surfaces of the vertical side plates 2 and 3 of the plow or cutter; also, to the lower end of the left one of these uprights is secured the horizontal baroS, to the side of the rear end of which is pivoted the rearwardly and downwardly inclined scraper 59, which is forwardly curved for a portion of its length, and also provided with the transverse level ing extension (30 at its lower end for scraping or leveling the entire width of the bottom of the ditch, either after its completion or during its formation. At the point; of its connection with the bar 58 it is formed with the slot (31 for permitting it. to riscand pass over stones or other obstructions in the path of its movement; also, its pivotal connection with the rear end of the bar is formed by the screw-bolt (32, by which it can be held in raised or vertical position when its use is not desired.

To the upper surface of the rearend of the bar 58 is secured the scraper 63, which is'made of a plate of spring metal having a slight downward curve at its front end, which is formed with the teeth 04 for engaging thcpcriphery of the traction-wheel 38 for permitting the pins or spuds G5 thereon to pass between them and for removing any earth that may adhere thereto or to said wheel. The rear end of this scraper, like that of the scraper 25 for the gage-wheel 24, is longitudinally slotted, as at 06, and adj ustably held in place by the clamp belt or screw 6-7, whereby said scrapers may be held in or out of contact with their wheels-as, for instance, when the ditch is being cut in damp and clayey soils or in dry and sandy earths.

Having thus sufficiently described the construction and arrangement of the several parts of my invention to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same and understand the operation and advantages thereof, what I claim as new is 1. In a ditching-machine, a cutter rovided with two removably-connected vertical side plates having cutting-edges on their front ends, a downwardly and forwardly curved and slightly-inclined mold-board, and an angular plowshare having a horizontal sharp point at its forward end, avertical knife or colter, and a cutting-edge which is inclined rearwardly and to the right, substantially as described.

2. In a ditching-machine, the cutter 1, provided with the Vertical right and left side plates 2 and 3, the latter being formed wit-l1 the vertical cutting-edge 4 for a portion of its height and the former witha full-height rearwardly-inclined cutting-edge 6, which projects forwardly of said cutting-edge 4, the forwardly-curved mold-board 7, which is slightly inclined along its right edge, extended past said cutting-edge 6, and abutted against the lower end of said cutting-edge 4, the angular plowshare 8, having the sharp point 9, the vertical knife or colter 10, and the rearwardlyinclined cutting-edge 11, one or more screwbolts 12 for removably connecting said moldboard and plowshare, and the cross-braces l3 and the bolts or screws 14 for removably connecting said side plates, substantially as described.

3. In a ditching-machine, an endless conveyer composed of an inclined frame, sprocket wheels or rollers, and an endless belt or chain provided with a series of closely arranged buckets, which are formed of bent or rightangled plates and so arranged that their horizontal bottoms will fit closely against their vertical sides or walls and that their ends will be close to the sides of said frame, in combination with the slotted and adjustable hangers secured to the sides of said inclined frame and the spring-pressed or yielding brush-roll journaled in the lower ends of said hangers, substantially as described.

4. In a ditching-machine, an endless conveyer composed of an inclined frame, sprocket wheels or rollers, and an endless belt or chain provided with a series of closely-arranged buckets, which are formed of bent or rightangled plates and so arranged that their horizontal bottoms will fit closely against their vertical sides or walls and that their ends willbe close to the sides of said frame, in combination with the slotted and adjustable hangers secured to the sides of said inclined frame, and the brush-roll yieldingly journaled in the lower ends of said hangers, substantially as described.

5.111 a ditching-machine, an endless conveyer composed of an inclined frame, sprocket wheels or rollers, and an endless belt or chain provided with a series of closely-arranged buckets, which are formed of bent or right angled plates and so arranged that their horizontal bottoms will fit closely against their vertical sides or walls and that their ends will be close to the sides of said frame, in combination with a similarly constructed and operated endless conveyer, which is gearedto and operated from the conveyer first named and which is downwardly inclined and arranged at a right angle to and beneath the upper end of said first-named conveyer, and the yieldingly-journaled brush-rolls, one being arranged beneath each of said endless conveyers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a ditching-machine, an endless conveyer composed of an inclined frame, sprocket wheels or rollers, and an endless belt or chain provided with a series of closely-arranged buckets, which are formed of bent or rightangled plates and so arranged that their horizontal bottoms will fit closely against their vertical sides or walls and that their ends will be close to the sides of said frame, in combination with a similarly constructed and operated endless conveyer, which is geared to and operated from the conveyer first named and which is downwardly inclined and arranged at a right angle to and beneath the upper end of said first-named conveyer, the yieldingly-journaled brush-rolls, one being arranged beneath each of said endless conveyers, and a suitable plow or cutter arranged at the lower end of and communicating with said first-named conveyer, substantially as described.

'7. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with a plow or cutter and two endless conveyers communicating therewith and arranged at right angles to each other, of means for imparting motion to said conveyers, the same comprising a traction-wheel having a sprocket-wheel on its side, a sprocket-chain connecting the same and another sprocketwheel above, gearing intermediate of the same and the upper ends of said conveyors, and the yieldingly-journaled brush-rolls, one being arranged beneath each of said endless conveyers, substantially as described.

8. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with a plow or cutter and two endless conveyers communicating therewith and arranged at right angles to each other, of means for imparting motion to said conveyers, the same comprising a traction-wheel having a sprocket-wheel on its side, a sprocket-chain connecting the same and another sprocketwheel above, gearing intermediate of the same. and the upper ends of said conveyers,

said gearing consisting of the shaft 42, the large gear-wheel 43, the small gear-wheel 44, having the beveled teeth 46 on its outer face IIO or side, the bevel-pinion 4-77, the shaft its, and the yieldingly-journaled brush-rolls, one be ing arranged beneath each of said endless conveyors, substantially as described.

9. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with the horizontal beam 16, of the verticallyadjustable support 23, the gage-wheel 2t, jour na-led in the lower end thereof, and the twoarlned scraper 25, which is pivoted to said beam in rear of said support and adapted to rest at its lower closed end upon the periphery of said wheel, substantially as described.

10. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with the frame-work provided with the rearwardly-extending horizontal bar 58 and the screw-bolt 62, of the scraper 59, which is forwardly curved for a portion of its length, formed with the slot 01 in its upper end, and provided with the transverse leveling-extenwith the slot (36 at its rearend, and the clamp bolt or screw 67, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I al'iix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT l l U N'llC R. Witnesses:

J. M. FowLEn, J1-., 'lon R. S'JTUART.

Lil 

